1. Field
This disclosure relates generally to integrated non-volatile memory (NVM) and logic transistor manufacturing, and more specifically, to the making split gate NVM cells integrated with high-k, metal gate (HKMG) logic transistors.
2. Related Art
Non-volatile memories (NVMs) have become very significant in the semiconductor industry and thus the manner of making them has also become very significant. On the same integrated circuits are logic transistors, and in cases where the NVM is embedded in a much larger system, the logic transistor performance is the dominant concern. The cost of making the NVM is accordingly kept as low as possible while achieving the needed performance. Ways of achieving this normally includes using techniques that can be implemented with commonly available equipment and using materials that are well characterized. An effective approach for achieving the desired performance has been found to be the use of split gate NVM cells which utilize a select gate and a control gate over a continuous channel while using HKMG transistors for the logic transistors.
Accordingly there is a need to provide further improvement in achieving both low cost and high performance for split gate NVM cells in an integration with high-k, metal gate transistors.